New portraits display at The Box celebrates Devon and Cornwall’s young artists

11th July 2024

Portraits by more than 160 talented young artists are now on display at The Box following a competition earlier in the year which encouraged as many young people from Devon and Cornwall as possible to take part.

The competition, which ran in partnership between The Box, Arts University Plymouth and the National Portrait Gallery, was inspired by the major The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure. The internationally touring exhibition has recently opened at The Box and features nearly 50 works by 22 of the most important artists of our age.

Young people from across the region were encouraged to submit portraits based on the theme of ‘under-representation’ – works that showed those who may not traditionally have been featured or seen on the walls of a museum or gallery. Entries were open in three different categories: Primary, Secondary and 18-25 Years and the winner of each takes centre stage in the display.

10-year-old Beatrix ‘Bee’ Bondarescu came out on top in the Primary category. Her painting Mama, which saw her experimenting with new materials, features her mum, who she often watches art videos with.

17-year-old Amira Busaka won the Secondary category with her photographic portrait titled The Future. The image shows two of her siblings in traditional African clothing and was inspired by her Congolese heritage. Amira recently completed the first year of an Extended Diploma in Fashion & Textiles at Arts University Plymouth’s Pre-Degree campus.

25-year-old Claire-louise Pitman was successful in the 18-25 Years category with a self-portrait titled coronal incision. The highly personal image explores the texture, size and shape of a large scar on her head which she’s had since a young age. Claire-louise is currently studying MA Photography at Arts University Plymouth.

The three winners were unanimously selected by a judging panel consisting of artist Nahem Shoa; Paul Fieldsend-Danks, Vice Chancellor of Arts University Plymouth; Tony Davey, engagement officer at The Box; Terah Walkup, art curator at The Box and Jelena Sofronijevic, contemporary art curator at The Box. 

Their winning portraits can be seen, alongside the additional 160 entries the competition received, in one of The Box’s first floor galleries throughout the summer. The display runs until the end of Sunday 29 September. Opening hours are 10am-5pm Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday. Admission is free.

Visitors can also see extra insights from Bee, Amira and Claire-louise in the display, including Bee’s palette, brushes and sketchbook, Amira’s test shots and some of Claire-louise’s prints. A further display case features information about famous Plympton-born portrait artist Sir Joshua Reynolds, while two stunning portraits from The Box’s art collection by Nahem Shoa and David Kim Whittaker have been hung either side of the gallery.

For more information about The Box visit www.theboxplymouth.com